North Hills Flashback: Horne's at Ross Park Mall

Last week’s debut issue of North Hills Flashback looked at a Northway Mall tenant known for its unique indoor playground. This week, we’ll look at a store typically associated with Northway Mall which wound up as Ross Park’s unexpected fourth anchor.

When most North Hills historians think of Horne’s, images of the once-grand Northway store come to mind. From its opening in 1962 until its final days as a home furnishings store in 1988, Horne’s was the “face” of Northway Mall. However, Horne’s also had a solid run at Ross Park Mall, operating in perhaps the most fascinating parcel of the mall from a historical standpoint.

Unbeknownst to some, Horne’s was never planning on moving to Ross Park. Kaufmann’s, Sears, and JCPenney were among the original four department stores set to open at Ross Park. The fourth was to be Gimbel’s, which would move from its North Hills Village location, much as Kaufmann’s abandoned its freestanding store at present day McIntyre Square. (At one point, Montgomery Ward was actually slated for the mall, but this plan was axed far before development began). Horne’s would remain at Northway Mall, which would operate alongside Ross Park.

Construction progressed in 1985 into early 1986. However, there was a major bump in the road that spring. Gimbel’s declared bankruptcy and announced they would close their stores by the fall. Before Ross Park even opened, it lost an anchor.

It didn’t take Horne’s long to realize they should move to the partially-completed Gimbel’s space. Smaller stores, after all, would be fleeing Northway for the larger, newer, and more-populated Ross Park. Kaufmann’s was about to build a massive, three-story store on the property, giving it an advantage over its longtime competitor in the North Hills area. Why not take advantage of the opportunity?

The store was expanded from its original plan. A two-story parking deck was added, making the store a popular jumping-off point for shoppers. Horne’s opened for business just in time for Black Friday 1986, three months after the main mall had opened.

Horne’s ran two stores in the North Hills for a short while. The upper level of the Northway store was closed and became Dahlkemper’s in 1987. However, the lower level remained as a home furnishings store until May 1988.

The Ross Park Horne’s had a simple layout conducive to efficient shopping. The entire lower level was women’s clothing and accessories plus jewelry. Shoppers wishing to park under cover entered on this level. The upper level housed the men’s department, children’s department, housewares, and, in the earlier days, the candy counter. (Yes, Horne’s sold candy at one time; I actually still have a metal tin from the Horne’s candy counter sitting around).

Horne’s operated until August 1994. At this point, the entire chain became Lazarus. Although Lazarus modified the store somewhat, the look and feel remained mostly the same from the Horne’s days.

One name change may seem like enough for a store, but it would change twice more. In 2004, during a time of transition and merger, the store became rebranded as Lazarus-Macy’s. Yes, that’s a hyphenated name for those keeping score at home. The hyphen was quickly dropped, as was the Lazarus portion of the name, and the store was Macy’s by 2005.

2005 was a very eventful year in the department store world, as it was the year the much-publicized Federated-May merger took place. For Pittsburgh, this meant Macy’s and Kaufmann’s would become one in the same. Rumors of store closings at all local malls began circulating. Most malls chose to ax their Kaufmann’s, especially since these stores were often built as lower-tiered Gimbel’s stores, electing to keep former Horne’s buildings instead, as they were typically a bit bigger and more upscale. It also provided an easy transition, as these stores had been branded exclusively as Macy’s by that point.

The exception to the closure rule was Ross Park. Horne’s, of course, was originally intended to be a Gimbel’s, while Kaufmann’s had always been the largest store at the mall. Realizing the potential of the three-story Kaufmann’s space, Macy’s decided to rebrand it along with the other remaining Kaufmann’s stores. The old Horne’s location, operating as a Macy’s at the time, would be shut down in the spring of 2006.

Not long after the plans were announced, plans to open Nordstrom at Ross Park surfaced. Nordstrom elected to build anew, demolishing both the old Horne’s as well as the parking deck. These were the first and, as of now, only parts of the original mall to have been wrecked.

Although Nordstrom has been credited as the store which has most shaped the mall into an upscale development, at least one part of the old Horne’s building is universally missed: the parking deck. Gone are the days of avoiding accumulating snow or hot interiors. Between the construction of the outparcels and lack of the parking deck, Ross Park has actually lost more than a few parking spaces as a result of new development.

The old Horne’s space may be gone, but it will forever live on as the portion of the mall with the richest, most checkered history. While we may know the location of the old building as today’s centerpiece of retail in the North Hills, the memories of parking decks and candy counters will forever remain treasured in the hearts of longtime residents.